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Aug. 4, '1931. -r. L. VALERIUS STORING AND DISPIgNSING APPARATUS Filed April 24. 1928 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Trail.

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STORING AND DISPENSING APPARATUS Filed April 24,1928 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fara-7.3.

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' SIORING AND DISPENSING APPARATUS Patented Aug. 4, 1931 UNE'E.

PA'rEr Price THEODORE L. vAL RrUs, or rear ATKINSON, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNGR ro VALERIUS CORPORATION, OF

JEFFERSON, WISCONSIN, A CORPORATION OF WWIISCONSIN s'ronrNe AND DISPENSING APPARATUS Application filed. April '24,

This invention relates to apparatus for storing at different temperatures edible and other materials.

One object of the invention is to provide apparatus of this character having a'plurality of compartments which may be refrigerated from a single source and maintained in a ready manner at the same or different temperatures.

Another objectof theinvention is to provide in apparatus of'this character having two compartments connected by a thermosiphonic system and auxiliary means in-said system for maintaining one or more additional compartments at the same or different temperatures at will;

Other objects of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art to which my invention relates from the followingdescription taken in connection with the ace companying drawings, wherein Fig. l is a plan view of an apparatus em.- bodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of theapparatus.

Fig. 3'is Fig. 4.

Fig. 4 is a section v Fig.5 is a section In the drawings,

a section on the line 3 -3 of on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3. on the line 5,-.5"of Fig. 4. 1 indicates a casing having a front wall 2, a bottom 3,a rear wall 4, end walls'5 anda top 6 and anupperframework forming chambers 7, each formed with a. longitudinal opening 8 in which are mounted a plurality of dispensing jars 9 andjars 10 for fruitor cracked ice. The casing l .is constructed to provide compartments 11 and 12 for holding a suitable temperature chang ing medium which circulates by meansof a thermo-siphonic system (to be later de-' scribed) from one compartment to the other. The temperaturechanging medium is a refrigerant, preferably brine. 13 indicates an intermediate compartment. The purpose of the compartments 11, 12 and 13 will later appear. 1 y

The casing 1 comprises a suitable frame and its walls consist of spaced sheet material and suitable non-heat conducting material between the sheets to prevent the transfer of 1928. Serial N0..275 3,53D.

heat through the frame walls. Thecasing i condenser and compressor of suitable construction.

The refrigeration means may be of any desired construction. Each of the compartments 11, 12, may be provided with oneor more receivers 15 adapted to hold the'edibles which are to be stored and dispensed. I show one receiver 15 in the compartment 11 and two receivers in the compartment 12. Each receiver is formed by an upstanding wall 16 secured in a liquid tight manner to the bottom of the adjacent compartment. The receivers 15 may be of any desired shape in cross section and size; but in actual practice I have made each of them large enough to receive two cans of ice cream, such as shown in the drawings. The ice cream shown in the receiver 15. in compartmentll is preferably in packaged form as it is desirable to maintain it at the lowest temperature (the brine in this compartment having the lowest temperature since the, boiler is mounted therein) whereas the receivers in the compartment 12 contain cans of bulk ice cream, which it is desired to maintain at a higher temperature to permit dipping.

The top 6 is provided with a plurality of openings 17. in registry with the receivers 15 and these openings have covers 18 of suit.- able construction; the top is also formed with an opening 19, closed by a cover 20, which opening permitsaccess to the compartment 13; and the top 6 is also formed with additional openings in which are removably mounted jarsor receptacles 21, the lower portions of which are exposed to refrigerated air and water in the compartment 13.

22 indicate draft arms mounted on the upper frame and each connected to piping 23 leading to a source of supply. The piping connected to either one or more of the draft arms may be arranged in coil form (as shown at 24) in the compartment 13 and immersed in the water, which being refrigerated in the manner hereinafter set forth, will cool the liquid dispensed from such arm or arms.

The thermo-siphonic system comprises a supply pipe 25 connected to the lower portions of the compartments 11, 12, whereby the refrigerated brine may flow from the former to the latter and a return pipe 26 connected to the upper portions of these compartments whereby the brine of higher temperature may flow from the compartment 12 back to the other compartment to be again refrigerated. Both pipes 25, 26, are preferably insulated throughout their lengths. 26 indicates a valve, preferably in the pipe 25, for regulating the flow therethrough for a well known purpose.

27 indicates as an entirety means interposed in or connected with the thermosiphonic system for refrigerating the compartment 13 or maintaining the water therein at any desired temperature. While I have shown but one compartment 13, I may provide additional compartments and refrigerate each or the liquid therein by a re frigeration means 27. I have by preference shown water in the compartment 13, but other liquid may be used or the liquid may be omitted.

The refrigeration means 27 comprises a drum 28 (preferably of cylindrical shape in cross section) within the compartment 13 and having a connection 28, preferably con sisting of a single pipe, with the supply pipe 25 and a valve 29 for regulating the flow through the connection into and out of the drum. As shown by the arrows in Figs. 1 and 5, the brine flows through the pipe 28 to the drum and returns therethrough to the pipe 25. The drum 28 is preferably supported in spaced relation to the bottom of the compartment 13 and suflicient water is maintained in the latter to extend above the drum. Due to the low temperature of the brine flowing into and out of the drum, the water surrounding and in contact therewith will become frozen, as shown at 30. By regulating the valve 29 to increase or decrease the flow of brine into and out of the drum 28, the thickness of the ice may be varied to refrig erate the water at varying degrees of temperatures to suit difierent'conditions or the nature of the materials stored in the compartment or the temperature of the atmosphere or both. As shown, the auxiliary refrigeration means 27 are connected to the pipe 25 on that side of the valve 26 remote from the compartment 12, so that adjustment or regulation of the valve 26 will be independent of and without effect upon the flow of the brine to the drum 28. By preference the drum 28 is arranged midway between the ends of the compartment 13 to insure substantially uniform cooling.

Due to the fact that the pipe 26, is insulated, the brine flowing therethrough will not be affected by the temperature in the compartment 13.

While the drum 28 may be connected to either pipe, I preferably connect it to the pipe 25. The drum is preferably enlarged as compared to the cross sectional area of the pipe 28 to provide space for circulation of the brine therein. Furthermore, I prefer to locate the valve 29 for the pipe 28 at its point of connection with the pipe 25 so that one side of the valve element may serve as a guide to direct the brine into the pipe 28 and its opposite form an outlet port from which the brine is induced to flow by reason of the current of brine flowing past such port through the pipe 25. As shown in Figs. 4 and 5, the stems for the valves 29'and 26 extend through the insulation, access to their outer ends being provided by openings 31, each closed by a shutter 32.

The jacket for the pipe 25 is preferably provided by positioning the inner front wall 13 for the compartment 13 at a point inwardly of the casing front wall 2 and ex tending such wall horizontally toward the wall 2. (as shown at 1341!.) and connecting it therewith. The sheet material forming the wall 13 is preferably laid over the bottom of the compartment 13 and against therear Wall 4, as shown at 135, so as to form a chamber for holding the water which is placed in this compartment. as already set forth. The horizontal portion 13a and horizontal edge of the portion 13?; form supports for a rack 33 on which the materials, such as butter, eggs, and other commodities including bottled beverages and the like, are placed.

As shown in Figs. 4 and 5, the space be tween the walls 13, 13a and 2 is filled with insulation material 200 of a character that may be readily removed and replaced, access to thisspace being provided for by an opening 2' in the wall 2. By this form of construction, the valves may be servicedand the pipe 25 installed or removed at will.

The compartments 7 are linedwith a suitable material 7a and may be filled with sufficient water to submerge a portion of the jars 9 and 10. The top 6 is formed with an elongated opening 7?) and in this opening I mount one or more sections of metal 3-ihaving a relatively high co-effic-ient of heat conductivity, this metal being exposed in the compartment 13 or in contact with a liner- 130 (see Fig. 4') and in contact with the top walls of the compartments 11 and 12 and in contact with the wall 7a, so that by con- "Ian duction the water in the compartments 7 will be cooled. The section of metal 34 is preferably corrugated and somewhat resilient so that it will tend to expand against the walls referred to to maintain contact therewith. The construction of easing having heat conducting means such as just described forms the subject-matter of my aforesaid application, for which reason no claim. thereto is made in this application. The liner 130 is applied to the inner faces ofthe front and rear walls 2, 4, of the compartment 13 and also the bottom thereof.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that I provide an apparatus wherein a plurality of compartments .or a medium therein may be maintained at desirable temperatures from or by the operation of a single source of temperature maintaining means, which in the present case. comprises a boiler for the expansion of a suitable medium mounted in one compartment, whereby the temperature changing medium in such compartment is refrigerated, its temperature being maintained at the lowest maximum required for any of the materials to be stored.

By providing a thermo-siphonic system between the compartment containing the boiler and another compartment and an auxiliary means having connection With said system in each of the remaining compartments, it will be seen that suitable temperatures approximating that in the compartment containing the boiler or higher temperatures may be maintained in the remaining compartments. I prefer to maintain in the compartment containing the brick cream a temperature of approximately eight degrees below zero, in the compartment containing the bulk cream a temperature approximately four de grees above zero and in the compartment 13 a temperature from thirty five to forty degrees above zero.

To those skilled in the art to which my invention relates, many changes in construction and widely differing embodiments and applications of the invention will suggest them- I selves wlthout departing from the spirit and scope thereof. My disclosures and the description herein are purely illustrative and are not intended to be in any sense limiting.

What I claim is:

1. In apparatus of the class described, the combination of a casing having a plurality of compartments, certain of said compartments containing a temperature changing medium, means in one of the last mentioned compartments for maintaining the medium at a desired temperature, a thermo-siphonic system connecting said medium containing compartments, and means connected with said thermo-siphonic system'for refrigerating another of said compartments, the last said means comprising a closed drum in said compartment connected at one side to said system by a pipe serving as the inlet and outlet for said drum.

2. In apparatus of combination of a casing the class described, the having a plurality of compartments, certain of said compartments containing a temperature changing medium, means in one of the last mentioned compartments for maintaining the medium at a desired temperature, a thermo-siphonic system connecting said medium containing compartments, means connected with said thermo-siphonic system for refrigerating another of said compartments, the last said means comprising a closed drum in said compartment connected at one side to said system by a pipe through which the medium flows to and from said drum, and a valve for regulating the flow of the medium to said drum. I

3. In apparatus of the class described, the combination of a casing of compartments, certain of said compartments containing a temperature changing medium, means in one of the last mentioned compartments for maintaining the medium at a desired temperature, a thermo-siphonic system comprising pipes connected with said medium containing compartments, a drum in another of said compartments for refrigerating it and connected at one side to one of said pipes by a pipe through which the medium flows to and from said drum, a valve in the last mentioned pipe for regulating the flow of the medium to said drum, and a separate valve in the pipe to which the last mentioned pipe is connected arranged at a. point first mentioned valve, for reguthermo-siphonic system without said beyond said lating said affecting the supply of the medium to drum.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name.

[THEODORE L. IVALERIUS.

having a plurality V 

